This blog, inspired by "The Baby Bonding Book For Dads: Building a Closer Connection to Your Baby," talks about all the ways dads and children can bond. Here you can read news about the book, advice about parenting, and real-life stories of dads, moms, and babies

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Keeping Children Safe While Biking

Summer is here, in full swelter. And your kids are outside biking. But do they know how to keep themselves safe?

Here's bike safety information to share with your children:

The eight best ways to keep yourself safe from cars while biking

1. Ride in the bike lane, not the sidewalk. Drivers don't look down the sidewalk for bikes, and they pull right into it when coming out of driveways.

2. When cars are parked on the right side of the street, watch out for opening doors. Ride three feet away from the cars: just imagine that all the cars' doors were all the way open, and ride so you won't hit them--that way they can't hit you!

3. When you are riding on a street with no bike lane, ride to the side but leave at least a couple feet of room between you and the curb. If the lane isn't wide enough for a car to pass you, ride right in the middle of the lane. Oregon law lets bikers use one whole lane when they need to. On Main St. in Ashland, for example, to stay away from the parked cars' opening doors, you have to ride in the middle of the lane. If you don't feel safe on a street like that, just walk your bike down the sidewalk to a better street.

4. Where cars are crossing your path at intersections or driveways, yield the right of way to them. Before you cross any place where a car can drive, slow down and get ready to stop if you have to, and look all ways: not just right and left, but in front and behind for cars turning into the crossing.

5. When you're in a bike lane, never pass a car on the right side of it: drivers don't look for you before they turn right, and may cut you off or turn right into you. When stopped at a light or stop sign, and there is a car on your left, don't start out into the intersection before you know if the car is turning right.

6. Make eye contact! When a driver is waiting to turn in front of you, look at their face and see if they are looking at you. If they are only looking the other way, don't cross in front of them.

7. Use lights on your bike whenever you are not in bright sunlight. Reflectors are not enough, though you should wear them and reflective clothing too. The more lights the better!

8. Drivers make mistakes, and they sometimes don't see bicyclists. Sometimes when you are riding, a driver will actually make a mistake and not do what you expect. It is not an if, it's a when, so you need to expect it. Always ride so that when a driver makes a mistake or doesn't see you, they can't hit you.

Recap:1. Use the bike lane.2. Steer clear of opening doors.3. Ride 2 or 3 feet from the curb in a car lane; or in narrow lanes ride in the middle.4. Wherever cars can cross your path, get ready to yield and look all ways.5. Never pass cars on the right, not even at a stop.6. Make eye contact.7. Use lights.8. Expect the worst from drivers, and ride so they can't hit you.

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About the authors

James di Properzio is a freelance writer and editor, specializing in making technical information interesting and accessible. He used to say he “probably wanted to have a kid … someday.” When his wife became pregnant, James worked from home which gave him the chance to become a more involved dad, despite the fact that he had never held an infant before. Now James and his wife, Jennifer Margulis, have four children.

Jennifer Margulis has eaten fried crickets in Niger, performed the cancan in America, and appeared on prime-time television in France. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Military History Quarterly, Ms Magazine, and dozens of other national magazines and newspapers. She is also the author of Why Babies Do That: Baffling Baby Behavior Explained; the award-winning anthology, Toddler: Real-Life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love; and The Business of Baby: What Doctors Don't Tell You, What Corporations Try to Sell You, and How to Put Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Before Their Bottom Line. A former Fulbright Scholar, she lives in Ashland, Oregon with her husband and four children.

About the Photographer

Christopher Briscoe photographs people from all walks of life, all over the world. His celebrity faces include Michael Douglas, Kathryn Zeta Jones, Kirk Douglas, Rob Lowe, Ray Charles, Bo Derek, and Mikhail Gorbachev. Based in the Pacific Northwest, he has published his photographs in Time magazine, USA Today, and The Los Angeles Times. Chris' portfolio www.chrisbriscoe.com is an example of his connection with people and the magic light he splashes upon them. Aside from the pleasure of photographing wonderful faces, Briscoe's greatest joy comes from being a dad to his son, Quincy.